Daman: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday demanded statehood for the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on the lines of Goa or Puducherry.Athawale, the president of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), told reporters that though his party is a part of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, RPI (A) workers will launch an agitation if their demand is not met.The Union minister for social justice and empowerment suggested two options ” a full statehood like Goa or a legislative system like Puducherry, which is still a union territory.”Despite being small in area, Puducherry enjoys the status of a state. Similarly, Goa was once a UT and later became a state. This UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu has a population of nearly 6 to 7 lakh and elects two Lok Sabha MPs, just like Goa,” he told reporters here.Just like Puducherry and Goa, this UT should also be given the status of a state with a legislative assembly, said the RPI(A) chief.”This is our party’s demand and I will talk about it with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” he said.If the lower population of Diu and Daman, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli comes in the way of getting the statehood, Athawale proposed that the neighbouring Valsad district of Gujarat be annexed with this UT and the combined area be declared as a state.”If the Gujarat government is not ready to part with the Valsad district, the Centre can think of creating a legislature for Diu, Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Though we are part of the NDA government at the Centre, our party may also start an agitation to push the Centre to accept our demand,” he said.In view of the success of ‘Operation Sindoor’, RPI(A) party cadres plan to take out a “Bharat Zindabad Yatra’ in the UT on May 25, he said.”After the clouds of war disperse, our party workers will start the agitation demanding statehood for the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. We will also organise a conference here to make people aware of our plans,” said Athawale.For the upcoming local bodies polls in the UT, Athawale said his party will fight on its own if the BJP does not give them the required number of seats under the seat sharing formula.
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